we often make light drawings with the children because our founder, rinne allen, makes them too…sometimes we go down to her garden and make them there, other times we make them in our own garden.
the fun part about light drawings is that you can use anything…as long as it is somewhat flat…the gathering of ingredients is one of the most fun parts of making them…you can use things around your house, but looking outside is a great way to engage the senses and learn about what is growing outside your door.
to make:
firstly,
you need sunshine! or at least a partly cloudy day…sunshine is the magic ingredient in making these…
you can buy kits of pre-treated paper at your local toy store or online…just look for ‘sunprint kit’…
once you have your paper, you can walk through your landscape gathering specimens…look for leaves with interesting shapes or flowers etc…
when you are ready, please your specimens next to your pack of paper- only pull out your sheet of paper once you are ready to make your sun print.
place the paper on a flat surface then lay your specimens on top, in any arrangement that pleases you- note, the specimens will leave a white ‘shadow’ behind once removed, so keep that in mind as you place things.
(note, you will need to work quickly, as the paper will start to develop the minute it is in the sun.)
wait, patiently, for 3 to 5 minutes- the paper will start to change color…after waiting, remove your specimens and place your sheet of paper in water in a low tray or cookie sheet…rock the water gently to agitate the water’s surface and wash the paper.
after 15 minutes, remove from water and hang to dry…and enjoy!
